Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1887-06-30
st. Paul, Nebraska.

columns of the HERALD.
st. Paul, the county seat of Howard
county, is situated between the North
and South Loup rivers, about three
miles above the place where the two
streams come together, and is 100 miles
from Omaha and 144 miles from Lin
coin. The city is built on plateau of
land rising from the river bottom and
slopes back to the table land on the
west, making "A very beautiful location
for city. The town was founded in
1871, and was named after its founders
the Paul brothers who are still among
its valued citizens. It was first incor-
porated in 1881, rs a village, and was
changed to city of the second class in
March, 1885. 1t was chosen rs the
county seat from its being very near
the center of the county, and has grown
to a city of nearly 800 inhabitants. 1t
is remarkable fact that this prosper
GUS city has had at no tim. u ''mush-
room growth, " growing up in a night,
to be stricken down in the morning by
the rays of the sun. There are but few
enterprises that have failed. Indiyidu-
ais may have failed (even those failures
have been few and far between) and
then others have taken their places who
have made a good paying business
The city has met with disasters in the
shape of fires at four different times and
in three of them nearly an entire bust
ness block was consumed, and at the last
in January, 1887, eleven business houses
with their stock were burned, involving
a loss of $4,000 or $4,000. New and
more substantial buildings have been
erected in the place of those burned and
now none but brick ones are being con-
structed in the business portion of the
town.
The city has four fine churches; the
Methodist, Baptist, Presbyterian and
Catholic. and all are in fiourishing
condition.
The school facilities are second tonone
in the state. There is a large school
building having ten departments, eight
teachers having been employed during
the past year.
The following secret orders have
lodges here: Masons; Odd Fellows;
Grand Army of the Republic; Ancient
Order of United Workman; Royal Arch
Masons; Select Knights; East Star; Wo-
mans Relief Corps, and others. The
Ladies Library Association keep a free
reading room and have a large selection
of books, magazines, periodicals, etc.
There are three newspapers at present
in the city, two English and one Danish;
and it is expected that another one viii
soon be started.
Nearly every branch of mercantile
business is represented and all are doing
well.
The financial demands are supplied
by two National Banks, aggregating a
capital of 100000, and another one
equally as large will be opened this fall.
There are four hotels, all doing a good
business, beside several private boarding
houses.
There are two large Touring mills
running the year round and each with
capacity of from 600 to 800 barrels of
flour per week. These mills during the
past year have consumed $4,000 BUSH
els of wheat.
st. Paul is in the midst of one of the
richest agricultural districts in the state.
The whole country is abundantly supplied
with soft, pure water, and abounds in
the finest meadows. grain fields and
pastures, furnishing the finest opportu-
mites for raising stock, which is becom-
ing one of the chief industries. The
Oshkosh Cattle Company have their head
quarters here and each year brings large
numbers of cattle to ST. Paul to be fed !.
Several other companies also feed cattle
at this point, making one of the b,st
markets for corn in the state. At pres
ent corn is worth from 25c to &c per
bushel.
The country surrounding is in every
respect equal to the town in improve
ments Fine homes and grounds are as
common out of town as in. The people
are former citizens of eastern and north
ern states, and are as happy and pros
porous class of people as can be found
The city contains in all 600 acres of
land and lots are bringing good prices
and selling fast.
The city recently decided to put in a
system of water works and the contract
has been let for the same, and by No
vember st Paul will have as fine sys-
tenn as any city in the west.
The ST. Paul Building and Loan AS
ISOLATION has securities for $4,000 or
$50, 900 worth of property and has aided
many laborers and persons of moderate
circumstances to secure homes of their
own who otherwise would have been
compelled to rent.
In 1881 the Republican Valley railroad
was built from Grand Island to St. Paul,
and later branches were built to the
north and west. making ST. Paul the
junction town, and at present the Lin
coin & Black Hills railroad is being
built through the city from the east,
coming from Central City. Grading
has been commenced on both sides and
the right of way through the city is be-
ing located. The Northwestern railroad
is surveyed this way from the northwest
with good chance to build to this
place. st. Paul will at no distant day
be railroad center.
During the past year there has been
purchased and shipped from this point
between ZOO and 800 car loads of grain
and stock, which goes to Omaha and the
east, while large amounts of produce,
grain and feed have been shipped to
Colorado and the mountains in the west.
Nearly every day brings people who
have come here to locate and BRING their